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🤠 Western Movie Guide

Best 1970s Western Movies Ranked

The definitive ranking of the greatest Western films released in the 1970s. Curated classics and forgotten gems.

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Little House on the Prairie Poster

#1. Little House on the Prairie (1974)

★ 8.1/10 21 votes

The story of the Ingalls family who left their house in Wisconsin and moved to the west, wanting to find a new place for home.

El Arracadas Poster

#2. El Arracadas (1978)

★ 7.8/10 64 votes

Mariano Landeros is sworn by his mother to look for the murderer of his father at all costs, the proof would bring that Doroteo Carrillo earring snatched his mother when it happened the asesinato.Mariano part unstoppably to find the murderer finding in the way love, hate and violence.

The Prophet, the Gold, and the Transylvanians Poster

#3. The Prophet, the Gold, and the Transylvanians (1978)

★ 7.8/10 10 votes

Two peasants from Transylvania go to America in order to meet their brother who had left Romania ten years earlier. They meet a prophet in the American state of Utah and eventually help the cause of justice in the villages where the prophet proves to be a dictator and exploiter of the coal miners over there.

El moro de Cumpas Poster

#4. El moro de Cumpas (1977)

★ 7.7/10 22 votes

In the city of Aguaprieta, two horses are part of the largest event in the region. The unbeatable horse Moro from the city of Cumpas faces the imposing Zaino de Aguaprieta. Two in a decided race in just 450 rods.

Duck, You Sucker Poster

#5. Duck, You Sucker (1971)

★ 7.7/10 1,216 votes

At the beginning of the 1913 Mexican Revolution, greedy bandit Juan Miranda and idealist John H. Mallory, an Irish Republican Army explosives expert on the lam from the British, fall in with a band of revolutionaries plotting to strike a national bank. When it turns out that the government has been using the bank as a hiding place for illegally detained political prisoners -- who are freed by the blast -- Miranda becomes a revolutionary hero against his will.

They Call Me Trinity Poster

#6. They Call Me Trinity (1970)

★ 7.5/10 1,495 votes

The simple story has the pair coming to the rescue of peace-loving Mormons when land-hungry Major Harriman sends his bullies to harass them into giving up their fertile valley. Trinity and Bambino manage to save the Mormons and send the bad guys packing with slapstick humor instead of excessive violence, saving the day.

The New Land Poster

#7. The New Land (1972)

★ 7.5/10 110 votes

A Swedish immigrant family struggles to adapt to their new life on the American frontier during the second half of the 19th century amidst civil war, native uprising and the lure of gold in California.

La Choca Poster

#8. La Choca (1974)

★ 7.5/10 24 votes

A smuggler lives far from civilization, in a hut in the jungle with his wife, La Choca, his son and his sister-in-law Flor. One day some men arrive, who accuse him of having betrayed them.

The Outlaw Josey Wales Poster

#9. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

★ 7.5/10 1,334 votes

After avenging his family's brutal murder, Wales is pursued by a pack of soldiers. He prefers to travel alone, but ragtag outcasts are drawn to him - and Wales can't bring himself to leave them unprotected.

The Emigrants Poster

#10. The Emigrants (1971)

★ 7.4/10 130 votes

Karl and Kristina Nilsson work on a farm in a cold and desolate area of 19th century rural Sweden. Growing privations, combined with increasing social and religious persecution, motivate the Nilssons and many of their neighbors to strike out for the United States. Following a treacherous ocean crossing and an equally grueling land passage, the emigrants find themselves in seemingly idyllic Minnesota.

Little Big Man Poster

#11. Little Big Man (1970)

★ 7.4/10 739 votes

Jack Crabb, looking back from extreme old age, tells of his life being raised by Indians and fighting with General Custer.

Trinity Is Still My Name Poster

#12. Trinity Is Still My Name (1971)

★ 7.4/10 1,030 votes

The two brothers Trinity and Bambino are exchanged by two federal agents and take advantage of the situation to steal a huge booty hidden in a monastery by a gang of outlaws.

Jory Poster

#13. Jory (1973)

★ 7.4/10 12 votes

Jory is a fifteen-year-old boy who joins a horse-drive after his father is killed by a drunkard. The drive's leader and a likable cowhand take the boy under their wing, and find that tragedy has taught him how to take care of himself better than anyone could expect.

The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians Poster

#14. The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians (1978)

★ 7.3/10 12 votes

The adventures of the three Brad brothers continues when Traian falls in love with Anabelle, a singer. He wants to marry her, not knowing that she is helping someone to rob a bank.

High Plains Drifter Poster

#15. High Plains Drifter (1973)

★ 7.3/10 1,380 votes

A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago. After gunning down three gunmen who tried to kill him, the townsfolk decide to hire the Stranger to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.

Jeremiah Johnson Poster

#16. Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

★ 7.3/10 719 votes

While slowly adapting to the grueling life of a mountain man in the Rocky Mountains, Jeremiah Johnson encounters the Crow and Flathead tribes as well as hunters, trappers and settlers, all of whom call these mountains home.

My Name Is Nobody Poster

#17. My Name Is Nobody (1973)

★ 7.3/10 1,085 votes

Jack Beauregard, an aging gunman of the Old West, only wants to retire in peace and move to Europe, but a young gunfighter known as "Nobody" who idolizes Beauregard wants him to go out in a blaze of glory. So, he arranges for Jack to face the 150-man gang known as The Wild Bunch and earn his place in history.

Blazing Saddles Poster

#18. Blazing Saddles (1974)

★ 7.2/10 2,144 votes

Crafty railroad worker Bart becomes the first Black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the citizens of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new protector. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend Jim are their only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.

Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid Poster

#19. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)

★ 7.2/10 478 votes

Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.

Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon Poster

#20. Kung Fu: The Way of the Tiger, the Sign of the Dragon (1972)

★ 7.2/10 30 votes

After avenging the death of his teacher, a Shaolin monk flees China to the American West and helps people while being pursued by bounty hunters.

Juan Moreira Poster

#21. Juan Moreira (1973)

★ 7.2/10 22 votes

In the late nineteenth century, the mule driver Juan Moreira is a good gaucho and worker who, like many others, is subjected to abuse and humiliation by the powerful, either the police or landowners.

McCabe & Mrs. Miller Poster

#22. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)

★ 7.2/10 465 votes

A gambler and a prostitute become thriving business partners in a remote Old West mining town until a large corporation arrives on the scene.

Quick Billy Poster

#23. Quick Billy (1971)

★ 7.2/10 13 votes

A psychedelic montage of home movie footage gives way to a silent western story.

Madam Dilâ Poster

#24. Madam Dilâ (1977)

★ 7.1/10 18 votes

Madam Dila is the grieving widow of a recently deceased Ağa (feudal landowner) who is hell-bent on wreaking revenge on Rıza, the man who murdered her husband. She sends her men to kill him and then ironically, saves his life because she doesn’t know it’s him.

Viva! Django Poster

#25. Viva! Django (1971)

★ 7.1/10 56 votes

Django is on the trail of some renegade outlaws who raped and killed his wife. En route, he rescues a horse thief from an impromptu hanging. He discovers the man knows who committed the murder. The men team up and head west for revenge.

The Shootist Poster

#26. The Shootist (1976)

★ 7.1/10 396 votes

Afflicted with a terminal illness John Bernard Books, the last of the legendary gunfighters, quietly returns to Carson City for medical attention from his old friend Dr. Hostetler. Aware that his days are numbered, the troubled man seeks solace and peace in a boarding house run by a widow and her son. However, it is not Books' fate to die in peace, as he becomes embroiled in one last valiant battle.

The Cowboys Poster

#27. The Cowboys (1972)

★ 7.1/10 275 votes

When his cattlemen abandon him for the gold fields, rancher Wil Andersen is forced to take on a collection of young boys as his cowboys in order to get his herd to market in time to avoid financial disaster. The boys learn to do a man's job under Andersen's tutelage, however, neither he nor the boys know that a gang of cattle thieves is stalking them.

El Topo Poster

#28. El Topo (1970)

★ 7.1/10 686 votes

El Topo decides to confront warrior Masters on a trans-formative desert journey he begins with his 6 year old son, who must bury his childhood totems to become a man.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue Poster

#29. The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

★ 7.0/10 230 votes

Double-crossed and left without water in the desert, Cable Hogue is saved when he finds a spring. It is in just the right spot for a much needed rest stop on the local stagecoach line, and Hogue uses this to his advantage. He builds a house and makes money off the stagecoach passengers. Hildy, a prostitute from the nearest town, moves in with him. Hogue has everything going his way until the advent of the automobile ends the era of the stagecoach.

Kid Blue Poster

#30. Kid Blue (1973)

★ 7.0/10 19 votes

Bickford Waner, an apparently naive young man from Fort Worth, arrives in the tiny Texas town of Dime Box and takes on a variety of menial jobs. He's befriended by Reese Ford and his wife Molly, but before long Molly has seduced Bickford. Only with the arrival of Bickford's former girlfriend Janet Conforto is it revealed that Bickford is actually the notorious train robber Kid Blue. Humiliated by a scandal arising from his affair with his friend's wife, Bickford gives up on going straight and plots a crime.

Two Mules for Sister Sara Poster

#31. Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

★ 7.0/10 700 votes

When a wandering mercenary named Hogan rescues a nun called Sister Sara from the unwanted attentions of a band of rogues on the Mexican plains, he has no idea what he has let himself in for. Their chance encounter results in the blowing up of a train and a French garrison, as well as igniting a spark between them that survives a shocking discovery.

I Will Fight No More Forever Poster

#32. I Will Fight No More Forever (1975)

★ 6.9/10 10 votes

Pursued by 2,000 US soldiers and cavalry, Chief Joseph leads his tribe of 800 Nez Perce on a 1,700 mile journey across the West and towards Canada. Based on the true story of the westward expansion of the United States and the military force used to displace Native Americans from their lands.

Ulzana's Raid Poster

#33. Ulzana's Raid (1972)

★ 6.9/10 165 votes

After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down.

Capulina Speedy González Poster

#34. Capulina Speedy González (1970)

★ 6.9/10 31 votes

Pony Express mailman in old west discovers super-powered chiles, gets tangled up with bank robbers.

Keoma Poster

#35. Keoma (1976)

★ 6.8/10 170 votes

Half-breed Keoma returns to his border hometown after service in the Civil War and finds it under the control of Caldwell, an ex-Confederate raider, and his vicious gang of thugs. To make matters worse, Keoma's three half-brothers have joined forces with Caldwell, and make it painfully clear that his return is an unwelcome one. Determined to break Caldwell and his brothers' grip on the town, Keoma partners with his father's former ranch hand to exact violent revenge.

Daisy Town Poster

#36. Daisy Town (1971)

★ 6.8/10 134 votes

When the members of a caravan of pioneers find a daisy growing in the middle of the desert they decide to stop there and to build their town on this very spot. Houses soon spring up like mushrooms, immediately followed by a bank, a saloon, a prison, etc. Daisy Town is born. Unfortunately a city does not go without its bad boys and the peaceful place is soon turned into a lawless place. To restore law and order, a lawman is needed. Lucky Luke, the cowboy who shoots faster than his shadow, will be this man: all the villains had better watch out!

There Was a Crooked Man... Poster

#37. There Was a Crooked Man... (1970)

★ 6.8/10 147 votes

A charming but ruthless criminal is sent to a remote Arizona prison, where he enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot.

Big Jake Poster

#38. Big Jake (1971)

★ 6.8/10 252 votes

An aging Texas cattle man who has outlived his time swings into action when outlaws kidnap his grandson.

Red Sun Poster

#39. Red Sun (1971)

★ 6.8/10 325 votes

In 1870, Japanese ambassador Sakaguchi and his entourage travel by train to Washington to deliver a valuable sword to the President of the United States, a gift from the Emperor of Japan. On board the same train are two robbers, Link and Gauche, ready to make their move…

Westworld Poster

#40. Westworld (1973)

★ 6.8/10 1,503 votes

Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.

Hirttämättömät Poster

#41. Hirttämättömät (1971)

★ 6.8/10 18 votes

Two outlaws, The Lonely Rider and the Indian Tonto, have caught (at least they think they have) Speedy Gonzales, a ruthless gunfighter from the town of Njietponimaistadi. They start to travel to another town for the reward, through the desert without water and fighting against Indians. And just to find out that they have made a full circle back to origin.

¡Qué Viva México! Poster

#42. ¡Qué Viva México! (1979)

★ 6.8/10 55 votes

Having revolutionized film editing through such masterworks of montage as Potemkin and Strike, Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein emigrated West in hopes of testing the capabilities of the American film industry. Quickly ostracized from Hollywood, Eisenstein, Grigory Alexandrov, and photographer Eduard Tisse (at the urging of author Upton Sinclair) wandered south of the border, where they began filming a highly stylized documentary about the people and volatile social climate of Mexico. Unfortunately, a lack of funds prohibited the film's completion, and the famed director was unable to edit the film. In 1979, by referring to Eisenstein's extensive notes and sketches, Alexandrov assembled the most definitive version of the film; as close to Eisenstein's vision as one is ever likely to see.

Soldier Blue Poster

#43. Soldier Blue (1970)

★ 6.8/10 231 votes

After a cavalry group is massacred by the Cheyenne, only two survivors remain: Honus, a naive private devoted to his duty, and Cresta, a young woman who had lived with the Cheyenne two years and whose sympathies lie more with them than with the US government. Together, they must try to reach the cavalry's main base camp. As they travel onward, Honus is torn between his growing affection for Cresta.

Lucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons Poster

#44. Lucky Luke: The Ballad of the Daltons (1978)

★ 6.7/10 119 votes

The Dalton brothers are to receive their dead uncle's fortune if they eliminate the judge and jury responsible for his execution. And to accomplish this task, they must enlist the help of Lucky Luke.

Wind from the East Poster

#45. Wind from the East (1970)

★ 6.7/10 29 votes

A politically oriented film in which images suggestive of a mock western are accompanied by an attack on all cinematic conventions to date and a debate on the nature and possibility of revolutionary cinema.

El Brazo de Oro Poster

#46. El Brazo de Oro (1979)

★ 6.7/10 10 votes

Timothy Leach moves in to an abandoned farm house with his wife. On the way a man befriends Timothy with the intention to pass Marlene to him (A golden arm brace that gives who ever wears it dead eye shooting accuracy). A group of bandits notice them and see them as easy prey. they rob them of goods and supplies. on another trip the bandits seeing Mrs. Leach all alone assault her. as she lays on the ground the man who befriended Timothy strangles her. when Timothy arrives he blames the bandits and gives him Marlene and hands him a gun he is reluctant as he has never shot a gun before, but soon discovers it possesses incredible powers which uses nerves impulses to hit the target every time. Timothy is afraid but he also wants to avenge the life of his wife. even if he has to take them all on.

The Castaway Cowboy Poster

#47. The Castaway Cowboy (1974)

★ 6.7/10 31 votes

A Wayward Texas cowboy washes up on the beaches of Hawaii and is taken home by an fatherless boy. He saves the family's business while romancing the single mom.

The Spikes Gang Poster

#48. The Spikes Gang (1974)

★ 6.7/10 45 votes

Three teenage farm boys stumble upon Harry Spikes, a local bandit wounded in a gun battle. While Harry is recuperating, he regales the young men with stories of his exciting past. The adventurous tales inspire them to start a gang of their own. Failing at their first attempt to rob a bank, the boys convince the gruff Spikes to teach them the ways of the desperado.

And God Said to Cain Poster

#49. And God Said to Cain (1970)

★ 6.7/10 63 votes

An innocent man sentenced to ten years in prison for a crime he did not commit, is released from jail, promising to seek revenge on the guilty.

Boss Nigger Poster

#50. Boss Nigger (1975)

★ 6.7/10 70 votes

Two black bounty hunters ride into a small town out West in pursuit of an outlaw. They discover that the town has no sheriff, and soon take over that position, much against the will of the mostly white townsfolk.

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